Unemployment set to rise in Switzerland

Women are often the worst affected by rising unemployment Keystone

Projections by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) indicate that the number of jobless in Switzerland will continue to increase in 2003.

Worst affected will be women, single parents, the disabled, and first-time job seekers.

The OECD predicts an increase in the jobless rate over the whole year of 0.8 per cent, from 2.3 per cent to 3.1 per cent.

The report says an improvement in the job market is unlikely before 2004.

Werner Aeberhardt, head of the employment division at Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, said the OECD’s figures coincide with his own projections.

“We predict unemployment will continue to rise until the spring of 2004,” Aeberhardt told swissinfo. “After that we expect a slight improvement in the situation.”

Swiss better off than others

Nevertheless Switzerland still has an enviably low unemployment rate compared with its European neighbours, where the average is 9.1 per cent.

However, Swiss trade unions are concerned about the increase, pointing out that significant unemployment levels in Switzerland are relatively new.

“The longer a country has unemployment, the harder it is to reduce it,” Serge Gaillard of the Swiss Federation of Trade Unions told swissinfo.

“In other European countries they have been dealing with the problem much longer than Switzerland.”

Gaillard added that there may be many Swiss job seekers who don’t appear in the unemployment statistics.

“In Switzerland there are between 250,000 and 300,000 part-time workers who would like to work more,” he said.

Action needed

The OECD report warns that all countries must take measures to protect and create jobs.

Fighting unemployment should be a priority for governments worldwide, it says.

Ensuring easier access to the job market for those who traditionally find it more difficult to get work is one measure the OECD wants countries to focus on.

Foreign workers, women, and the young all suffer disproportionately when unemployment rises.

But Switzerland came in for praise in the OECD report for its record on employing disabled workers.

Around 60 per cent of Switzerland’s registered disabled have jobs – more than three times the level in Spain.

swissinfo with agencies

jobless brief

Unemployment will continue to rise across Europe in 2003 – worst affected will be women, single parents, and the disabled.

Switzerland has an enviably low unemployment rate compared with the rest of Europe – 3.6% to Europe’s average of 9%.

Switzerland also has a good record of employing disabled people – around 60 per cent of registered disabled are in work, three times more than in Spain.

Swiss trade unions estimate there are between 250,000 and 300,000 part-time workers in Switzerland who would like to work more.